Free Range Family

Happy New Year! Are you glad that 2013 is over, or sad that it is leaving us so soon? Personally, I am glad that its over and extremely welcoming to 2014. We had a very rough year with losing our house in court, becoming homeless, losing Great Grandpa Louie, and with Anna's dog bite. 2013 was quite hard on us, but there were lots of good things that happened too. Benton was born, I became a certified gymnastics instructor, Lon was promoted to manager at the Village Inn. It was just another year for us, but we sure are ready for the next one! Bring it on 2014! I hope this year brings us a new house among many more positive things! We aren't doing anything too special today, Lon and I both work in the morning. We will probably celebrate with my parents later tonight, but will most likely turn in before midnight like we always do lol. This is why we had our date on Sunday! :) Alan and Anna are still totally stoked that its a holiday today though. I am hopefully going to take th

Last night, Lon and I treated ourselves to a nice dinner at Olive Garden for our New Year date this year. It had been a little over a year since our last date, it was definitely due time for one! Aunt Sam and Uncle Tyler had given us a giftcard to OG for Christmas this year and made us promise to not take the kids with us lol. And my mom offered to watch the kids for us last night. Aunt April helped style my hair for me, it was so curly and pretty! Thanks Mom, April, Tyler and Sam! It was a great date night thanks to the four of you! We both had a wonderful time together! I haven't been to the Olive Garden in some time, they have gotten quite a bit fancier since I had last gone. We tried some delicious red wine, a compliment from our waitress. I don't usually like wine, but this was amazing! I almost regret not getting some more with my dinner but instead I decided on an amazing strawberry smoothie. It was made with an Italian yogurt that was to die for! Even Lon had some of

This Christmas was the sixth Christmas Lon and I have spent together. Since our first Christmas in 2008, quite a lot has changed with our family. In 2008, it was just Lon and I spending our first Christmas together. We had a small tree with only a few gifts each. I was pregnant with Alan, but did not know at the time. Now in 2013, its not just the two of us. We are married, have two children now and have been through our share of hardships. But our Christmases are still similar, still very important to us. We make a point to spend them together and spend them with our loved ones. There are still only a few presents, but they don't really matter to us. Its being together, Lon and the kids and I, that matters to me. For funsies, here is a review of the past five Christmases my family has spent together. I am only leaving Lon and I's first Christmas together out, because I don't think there were any photos of us taken that year. But starting with 2009, Alan's first Chris

Our Christmas was a blessed one this year. There are so many things to be thankful for, so many people who have supported and helped us. Thank you all! To the YMCA ladies that donated a ton of gifts to my family: bless you. To the WTE mamas who also sent our kids gifts, sometimes even from across the country: bless you too. To the friends and family who gave us presents, gave us money, helped us out with food, sent us a Christmas card, helped us find a place to stay for Christmas morning: bless you all so much. I can't even begin to put into words how endlessly grateful we are for all of you, you are just amazing people. You are who made our Christmas special this year. Not the gifts, the money or the food, but YOU. I don't know what our Christmas would have been like if we didn't have our loved ones. We are so lucky to have them! We spent our Christmas Eve with my family at my parent's house and with the in-law's at the Village Inn, as per tradition. Uncle Camer